Breast Augmentation

Breast Augmentation

A woman’s unique figure helps define her femininity, and the shape and size of her breasts play a large role in establishing that feminine identity. Some women go through life with reasts that are disproportionate to what might be appropriate for their bodies. Others are self-conscious about the shape of their breasts or about having one breast that is larger than the other. To deal with such issues, many women choose to enhance the shape and size of their breasts with breast augmentation surgery. Using breast implants at our Long Island and Manhattan centers, Dr. Arnold Breitbart works with each patient to help her safely achieve attractive, natural-looking results with breast augmentation.

Best Candidates

Healthy adult women who are comfortable with their bodies, but who would like to change the shape or size of their breasts are ideal candidates for breast augmentation. While performing breast implant surgery at his Long Island or Manhattan center, Dr. Arnold Breitbart will use his training and experience to design a cosmetic surgery plan that best suits the aesthetic goals of each patient. Schedule a consultation at our Long Island or Manhattan offices to determine if you are a good candidate for breast implants and to find out what results you can expect to see.

Breast Augmentation Procedure

During the procedure, which typically lasts between one and two hours, an incision will be made either in the crease under the breast, at the lower edge of the areola, or in the armpit. Next, safe, FDA-approved saline or silicone breast implants will be inserted through this incision and usually placed underneath the pectoral muscle and behind the breast tissue. Dr. Arnold Breitbart will help you decide which approach to surgery is best for you based on your aesthetic goals. While patients typically experience some soreness following breast augmentation, they are usually able to return to work within a few days.

Results From Surgery

Before surgery, Dr. Arnold Breitbart discusses reasonable results with each patient so she knows what to expect when the procedure is complete. During your consultation, Dr. Breitbart will show you different size implants which you can place within your bra, to determine which implant size range is right for you. The goal is for women to enjoy larger, shapelier breasts than before, and that the enlarged breasts look and feel natural. In cases of breast asymmetry, breast augmentation can result in a more balanced and symmetric bustline. Breast augmentation can be combined with other procedures, such as abdominoplasty, Liposuction, or breast lift, to ensure a proportionate and shapelier body contour.

Breast Augmentation FAQs

What is the difference between saline and silicone implants?

Saline implants are filled with salt water and silicone implants are filled with silicone gel. They are both approved for use in breast augmentation by the FDA, and both can give excellent results. Both implants have potential advantages and disadvantages. Leakage is a possible complication with either implant, and although uncommon, can occur after many years, or even within the first few years. If a saline implant should leak, it is generally quite apparent, with the implant losing most or all of its volume. It is not dangerous, and your body absorbs the saline. The procedure to replace the implant is fairly straightforward, with the old implant removed and a new implant placed. If a silicone implant should leak, it may not be readily apparent.

There may be localized hardness of the implant, or no symptoms at all. For this reason, MRI exams are recommended every few years to screen for potential implant leakage. These MRI tests may or may not be covered by your insurance plan. Depending on the extent of the leakage, the procedure to remove and replace the implant may be more involved, since the implant and any leaked silicone material would need to be removed. Leakage of silicone implants has been
shown to be very rare with the newest generation of silicone implants.

Silicone implants, however, can feel somewhat softer and be less palpable than saline implants. This may be more obvious in cases where the breast is very small and a larger implant is being used.

At your consultation, Dr. Breitbart can further discuss the features of saline and silicone implants, and help you decide which implant type to choose.

Can I breast feed after having breast implants?

Since the implants are placed well behind the breast tissue, there should be no disruption between the breast tissue and nipple, and breast feeding should be possible. Many women with implants can successfully breast feed. There are, however, women who cannot breast feed for different reasons, so if you have implants and cannot breast feed, it may or may not be due to having implants.

I want to have a natural looking result. Is that possible with implants?

The goal in all plastic surgery is to enhance the appearance, but still have as natural a look as possible. The choice of implant size is up to the patient, but is also limited by the chest size. Many patients want to be in the C cup range, and this is certainly a realistic expectation for most patients with breast augmentation. Smaller or larger cup sizes can also be appropriate. At your consultation, Dr. Breitbart will show you different size implants and help you decide which size is best for the look that you want.

Can breast sagginess be fixed with implants?

Breast sagginess, or ptosis, can occur after pregnancy, breast feeding, or normal changes of the breast. For minor degrees of sagginess, implants alone can correct the sagginess. For more extreme degrees or sagginess, a breast lift can be performed with the breast augmentation.